


The Roaring Twenties

by Thatonekidolliewrites



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1920s, Closeted Character, M/M, Reddie, Secret Relationship, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:20:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22080199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thatonekidolliewrites/pseuds/Thatonekidolliewrites
Summary: In honor of the new year I'm writing this fic I hope you enjoy.Eddie and Richie were childhood friends, soon moving out of their small home town into the considerably larger tangles of New York city. Amongst the hustle and bustle of the city something small started to grow.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

Eddie didn't mind Richie being an up and coming comedian. He could support the rent of their two person high rise apartment on his radio salesman paycheck. Richie was normally able to pay his way for food and any needed utilities. Richie spent most of his life in the spotlight, Eddie never minded staying in the crowd to watch. They had this dynamic since grade school, Richie got the attention, Eddie watched and cheered him on, it was nothing bad, Eddie liked it, he liked seeing Richie happy, he liked getting to sit back and watch.

The only part he didn't really like was the random girls that he would find randomly in their kitchen in the morning, he learned to get earplugs, mostly for the sound of the city and nearby trains. They soon came in handy as Richie garnered more recognition, especially in the world of young ladies. Richie seemed to have a type, brunettes, short modern bobs, slight build, shorter than him but that wasn't saying much. Last Wednesday was a blonde which was odd but she was nice, relatively embarrassed as she called Eddie darling when he walked into the kitchen for his morning coffee. Upon turning around she realized Eddie was not in fact the tall and charming comedian who had brought her here.

"Who ar-"

"Rich didn't tell you he had a roommate did he?" Eddie asked, passing her to get to the coffee pot. She pulled the dress shirt that she had probably salvaged from Richie's bedroom floor tighter around her.

"Names Eddie," He said, holding out his hand for her to shake.

"Helen," she replied, taking his hand and shaking it.

"Nice to meet you Helen, would you like any breakfast?"

"Oh, yes please, thank you. "

"Hangover breakfast or normal?" Eddie asked, sorting though their fridge.

"Normal, I don't drink," She said, seeming to calm down a good bit, sitting at their table. As if it was his alarm Richie dragged himself out of bed when he heard bacon hitting the pan. Black hair a messy mop on his head, glasses crooked on his gently freckled nose, also in a dress shirt, the same one he went out in, unbuttoned and left to crumple lazily, Eddie made a note to iron it.

"The creature has arisen," Eddie mumbled, putting the bread in the toaster and flipping the bacon, only looking up to watch him scratch his chest and yawn.

"Mornin' " he mumbled to both Helen and Eddie, sprawling in the chair at the head of the table. The three sat in relatively awkward silence as Eddie finished cooking and it remained as they ate. Richie inhaled his breakfast as always.

"Do you need money for a cab home," Richie paused, obviously trying to remember her name and failing, "love."

"I, I'm good thank you," Helen said, face dropping slightly, standing from the table, "I should get going anyways." 

There you go Rich, you've done it again. He didn't seem to notice.

"Helen."

"What."

"Her name is Helen."

Richie groaned, head falling into his hands, "Fuck."

Helen came out, hair still a mess, dress creased and crumpled, thrown on in a rush, purse held tight in her hands. She looked at Richie for another moment, waiting for him to say or do something. Ask her to stay or at least wake up a little more and talk to her properly, but he didn't, he didn't even notice her staring daggers into the back of his neck. Eddie looked at him wide eyed, nodding in her direction but Richie either didn't notice or didn't care. Helen huffed and stormed out, slamming their door in the process. It shook their cabinets, causing what little china they had to clink together.

"You need to stop doing that," Eddie mumbled, pouring Richie a cup of coffee.

"I don't need to stop doin anything Eds, I'm not some *drugstore cowboy," he replied, yawning. Eddie wanted to pour hot coffee on his roommate's head.

"You'll make a reputation for yourself."

"A reputation of being good in the sack doesn't sound too bad to me."

"No, a reputation of being an *oilcan."

Richie didn't reply, he just scrunched up his nose as he stood up, shaking his head at Eddie and heading back to his room after he put his and Helen's plate in the sink. Eddie sighed, cleaning up his own plate and pushing in the chairs. Eddie found his way to their couch, sat nicely by the window with his mug of coffee and a good Agatha Christie novel.


	2. drunk off you

Richie eventually came back out, a little better dressed but his shirt still wasn't buttoned properly, hair still a mess. He flopped down on the couch, laying his legs in Eddie's lap, head leaning over the arm rest. Eddie tensed, looking over at him wide eyed, dropping his book and losing his spot. He tried to shove Richie's legs off but ultimately failed. Richie stretched out to turn on their radio before laying back down again. 

"You're a menace," Eddie mumbled, trying to shove his legs again.

Richie chuckled, a chuckle that was like the perfect whiskey, lifting his head just a bit to look at Eddie, a slight smirk on his lips. Eddie wanted to smack that little smirk off his stupid face. 

"Get off of me you oaf," Eddie grumbled. 

"Oh come on Eds, my *dogs are killin me," he grumbled. 

"That doesn't mean you need the whole couch," Eddie replied, "you made me lose the spot in my book."

Eddie struggled for another second before giving up. Listening to the radio hosts for a while as Richie relaxed more into the couch, arms folded up on his chest, eyes closed. Eddie never minded when he did this, though he complained about it often, there was really no issue, he knew his page number and Richie's taste in radio wasn't too bad. It defiantly wasn't Eddie's taste, he was biased to dramas, murder mysteries and romances, Richie on the other hand liked the comedy talk show genre of radio, they both had their times, thankfully none of their shows overlapped. Currently Richie was listening Snow Village sketches, one of his more favored comedy shows. They sat in silence, listening to the fuzzy jokes coming over the radio, Eddie honestly thought Richie was asleep before he whipped his head up.

"I need a cigar," he mumbled. His voice was tired and it had hit a gravel patch has he sat up, hair falling messily in his face, just as disheveled as when he woke up that morning. The sun hit Richies eyes in just the right way that they melted down into the perfect bourbon. Looking into his eyes alone in that moment made Eddie feel like alcohol was hitting an empty stomach. He felt it rush to his head and warm his chest. He felt entranced, watching as Richie tugged his hand through his hair, the way his shirt wrinkled around his waist as he sat there for a minute, there was something about it all that just worked. He was this stunning mess that Eddie didn't understand. 

Richie stood, scratching at the small of his back as he retreated to his room for a second to retrieve what he was craving. He came back to the living room, lighter in hand, cigar between his lips already, he pushed open he window and leaning out. He knew Eddie didn't mix well with the smoke. 

Eddie just watched, though Richie was leaning out he could still see his face. The way the smoke curled around his lips, how it wove into his hair, the way it tangled his neck so elegantly you'd think it was trying seduce him. Eddie didn't mix with smoke but he adored the way it smelled, He loved when the smell of the tobacco when it sunk into Richie's clothes. He smoked in his room, always closed the door to the rest of the apartment, opened the window in there, but every time Eddie went to wash the sheets and he pulled them up it was like bathing in it. An intoxicating tangle of Richie's cologne and the tobacco of his cigars. It was purely Richie in there. The absolute mess of his bed, the clothes that were thrown about the room, some his, some not. Eddie always found some kind of jewelry in there, a lost earring, necklaces, bracelets, rings. His desk was always littered in papers, jokes, some stolen, Richie had a bad habit of that, some were original, he never touched it, Richie always got flustered if he knew Eddie saw any of his papers, it was odd, they were just jokes. 

"Spaghetti you're starin," Richie mumbled, smoke pouring from his mouth as he spoke. Eddie snapped himself out of it with a shake of his head and pulling his eyes away. The image lingered though, of Richie's messed up shirt, the first couple of buttons undone, exposing his collarbones and a small bit of his chest. Eddie kept his mouth shut, pressed in a thin line as he felt the room heat up. It was odd, it wasn't hot out, why was it so warm in here? Richie spent another couple minutes finishing up the cigar before slipping back inside to flop on the couch once more.

"What's goin on Eds?' Richie mumbled, Eddie could smell the tobacco on him, he felt like he was melting. It was on his breath, on his clothes, flooding the air around them, making him feel fuzzy. 

"Nothin, I just feel a little sick after breakfast is all."

"Don't *upchuck on me alright, I have a show tonight again, I gotta look good."

Eddie laughed a little, "that'll be hard."

Richie tackled him with a grin, getting those mind numbing eyes even closer to him, he scrunched up his face at Eddie bit before rolling them both to the ground. Being on top of him snapped Eddie out of his haze. 

"Watch it chie, we are't kids anymore, we might break something."

"Aw shut it Eddie, just having some fun."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slang translations  
> dogs- feet  
> upchuck- throw up

**Author's Note:**

> Slang translations:  
> drugstore cowboy - a guy who hangs around street corners trying to pick up girls  
> Oilcan - a disappointing or dull date


End file.
